Before the advent of modern optical technologies, most data transmission and communication systems employed electronic techniques almost exclusively. However, optical techniques are now finding increasing usage in such data transmission and communications systems, many of which employ fiber optic cables for the propagation and transmission of optical energy signals representative of data and communications information. Such fiber optic cables may be of the single filament or the multi-filament or bundle type, but in any event it is necessary to employ specially designed connectors at each terminal or interconnection between such fiber optic cables.
Connectors which efficiently perform the function of transmitting light energy at terminal ends of fiber optic cables (whether it be relative to another fiber optic cable, a photo-responsive device, or a source of optical signal energy) must possess the capability of minimizing light losses, facilitate the ready connection and disconnection of the terminal ends of such fiber optic cables, and, additionally, impose a minimum mechanical strain, particularly of a twisting or rotary nature, on the fiber optic cables since they are in fact composed of glass which will not withstand an undue amount of twisting or bending without undesirable resultant damage.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simple, inexpensively fabricated connector, which is adaptable for coupling multi-filament fiber optic cables of the bundle type to facilitate the efficient transmission of optical energy therethrough.
Additionally, such an optical connector must desirably have the attributes of requiring very little or no twisting during the course of its use to connect and disconnect two fiber optic cable bundle ends.
Moreover, it is highly desirable that such a simple, inexpensively fabricated connector for coupling multi-filament fiber optic cable bundles provide a means for assuring efficient optical alignment of the terminal ends of the bundles when the connector is in its assembled form and transmitting light energy signals therethrough.